Let's take a 125 MPH cruise.

[RamFan]

Unbelieve story.

Cliffs:
Guy has a modified Renault for a disabled driver.
Renault accelarates to 125.
Driver is able to call emergency services.
Emergency services catch up to him and give him escort.
Emergency services patch him to Renault engineer.
Car still won't stop.
Only solution is to let the gas run out.
125 miles and a country later the car runs out of gas.

 

[A_Harman]

I'll use that excuse the next time a cop stops me for speeding. "Gee officer, I'm sorry, but the car just accelerated out of control and I couldn't stop it."

 

[Tempest]

So the ignition, speed control, and transmission simultaneously had catastrophic failures all at one time? ....AND he had two epileptic seizures???

 

[Quattro Pete]

Ehh... something's fishy here. Reading various accounts of this incident, one has to wonder whether it was another user error. People often panic in such situations and can't think rationally.

Why did he drive into a ditch if the car ran out of gas?

According to this UK version, the car didn't run out of gas. It stopped because, as Mr Lecerf put it, "the accelerator unjammed as mysteriously as it had jammed."

Also, the article says that he initially set his cruise at 100 km/h (60 mph). Who the heck drives on a freeway in France at 100 km/h? Having driven there many times, I'd say nobody. 130-140 km/h is more typical. If you drive at 100, you get run over.

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/...ph-8494031.html

 

[SLCraig]

I just don't get these out of control speed bursts. I mean really nothing you can do?

I realize this guy was handicapped, but it makes me happy knowing I have a manual. I could just clutch in and let the engine explode if I had to.

 

[ag_ghost]

The accelerator linkage in the '63 Ford (in my signature) stuck wide open once when I was about 17. Turning off the ignition switch worked wonders... sheesh.
Kevin

 

[heynow]

Guess the car didn't have any brakes?

 

[mechanicx]

Let's again list all the simple ways to stop a car with a hung WOT:

1. Brake HARD and the brakes will always over power a car's engine (Brakes will overheat if lightly ridden)
2. Nudge the gearshift into neutral (most engines now have a rev limiter)
3. Turn ignition off from RUN position (most cars can be turned to ACC or OFF even in neutral or drive)

Really all 3 should be done in order. How hard is to at least eventually do this while a car continues to run away?

 

[RamFan]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Let's again list all the simple ways to stop a car with a hung WOT:

1. Brake HARD and the brakes will always over power a car's engine (Brakes will overheat if lightly ridden)
2. Nudge the gearshift into neutral (most engines now have a rev limiter)
3. Turn ignition off from RUN position (most cars can be turned to ACC or Lock even in neutral or drive)

Really all 3 should be done in order. How hard is to at least eventually do this while a car continues to run away?


I think the key part here is that he was on the phone with an engineer. Unless the driver was outright lying about about what he was trying you'd think the engineer would have been able to help.

 

[GearheadTool]

Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I'll use that excuse the next time a cop stops me for speeding. "Gee officer, I'm sorry, but the car just accelerated out of control and I couldn't stop it."


I *almost* blew past an Ohio State Trooper at 90 and accelerating, in the left lane, coming into Columbus, OH on Interstate 70.. He came into my field of view as I was climbing from 90MPH. My goodness, I thought I was done.. I braked HARD prompt to 65MPH.. and got straight to the right lane. I don't know HOW I wasn't stopped.. Statie/Highway patrol (?) didn't even move, though I may have caught him turning his head looking at this red car that just did that. jeez, that was a close call.

My car had a vacuum leak causing WOT, and wow, it felt like it had a turbo in it.

If gas mileage didn't drop s much, id be tempted to leave it like that................

I had to put it in neutral at lights, the pull was so strong.

Anyways, my mechanic found the vacuum line, put it back on, and ... was amazed I drove for a weekend like that. I explained to him "it made the car feel like a turbo."

 

[Quattro Pete]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Let's again list all the simple ways to stop a car with a hung WOT:

1. Brake HARD and the brakes will always over power a car's engine (Brakes will overheat if lightly ridden)

The article mentions the driver had a disability and the car was specially customized by Renault. We don't know the type of disability or the extent of customization. Maybe the driver had no use of his legs and weak hands making the task of braking HARD difficult.

Quote:

2. Nudge the gearshift into neutral (most engines now have a rev limiter)

This should have worked. Possibly Renault customized the car in a way that it didn't.

Quote:

3. Turn ignition off from RUN position (most cars can be turned to ACC or OFF even in neutral or drive)

I think his car had a START/STOP button. People reported that in some cars pressing this button will not turn off the ignition unless the car is put in park or neutral first, in which case see my response to 2. above.

I do agree it was a driver error to some extent, but the initial speed lock may have been a result of some vehicle malfunction/bug.

 

[mechanicx]

I don't see why he couldn't put it in neutral if he had enough strenght to drive the car for many miles and over an hour. I don't know if push-button ignition on this car will not shut off the ignition while in drive or not, but again I don't see why he couldn't put the car in neutral.

My point isn't so much to analyze this particular situation, but plenty of other people have had runaway cars with key ignition, cable shifter and weren't disabled and they too were on the phone talking to emergency services. So just like those cases I suspect ineptitude here.

 

[rslifkin]

Originally Posted By: mechanicx
Let's again list all the simple ways to stop a car with a hung WOT:

1. Brake HARD and the brakes will always over power a car's engine (Brakes will overheat if lightly ridden)
2. Nudge the gearshift into neutral (most engines now have a rev limiter)
3. Turn ignition off from RUN position (most cars can be turned to ACC or OFF even in neutral or drive)

Really all 3 should be done in order. How hard is to at least eventually do this while a car continues to run away?


The brakes won't necessarily stop a car. In many cars, they will, but in others, they'll either overheat before you stop or they just won't be strong enough. In the case of my Jeep, they'd slow it down, but it won't stop. In 2wd, standing on the brakes and flooring it results in a burnout. In 4wd, it just moves forward.

Kicking it into neutral and flipping the key back one click (shut it off, but don't lock the steering) should do the trick nicely and allow you to bring it to a nice, controlled stop.

 

[Astro14]

Originally Posted By: GearheadTool
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I'll use that excuse the next time a cop stops me for speeding. "Gee officer, I'm sorry, but the car just accelerated out of control and I couldn't stop it."


I *almost* blew past an Ohio State Trooper at 90 and accelerating, in the left lane, coming into Columbus, OH on Interstate 70.. He came into my field of view as I was climbing from 90MPH. My goodness, I thought I was done.. I braked HARD prompt to 65MPH.. and got straight to the right lane. I don't know HOW I wasn't stopped.. Statie/Highway patrol (?) didn't even move, though I may have caught him turning his head looking at this red car that just did that. jeez, that was a close call.

My car had a vacuum leak causing WOT, and wow, it felt like it had a turbo in it.

If gas mileage didn't drop s much, id be tempted to leave it like that................

I had to put it in neutral at lights, the pull was so strong.

Anyways, my mechanic found the vacuum line, put it back on, and ... was amazed I drove for a weekend like that. I explained to him "it made the car feel like a turbo."


Sure you did...

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: GearheadTool
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I'll use that excuse the next time a cop stops me for speeding. "Gee officer, I'm sorry, but the car just accelerated out of control and I couldn't stop it."


I *almost* blew past an Ohio State Trooper at 90 and accelerating, in the left lane, coming into Columbus, OH on Interstate 70.. He came into my field of view as I was climbing from 90MPH. My goodness, I thought I was done.. I braked HARD prompt to 65MPH.. and got straight to the right lane. I don't know HOW I wasn't stopped.. Statie/Highway patrol (?) didn't even move, though I may have caught him turning his head looking at this red car that just did that. jeez, that was a close call.

My car had a vacuum leak causing WOT, and wow, it felt like it had a turbo in it.

If gas mileage didn't drop s much, id be tempted to leave it like that................

I had to put it in neutral at lights, the pull was so strong.

Anyways, my mechanic found the vacuum line, put it back on, and ... was amazed I drove for a weekend like that. I explained to him "it made the car feel like a turbo."


Sure you did...


LAWL!

 

[GearheadTool]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: GearheadTool
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I'll use that excuse the next time a cop stops me for speeding. "Gee officer, I'm sorry, but the car just accelerated out of control and I couldn't stop it."


I *almost* blew past an Ohio State Trooper at 90 and accelerating, in the left lane, coming into Columbus, OH on Interstate 70.. He came into my field of view as I was climbing from 90MPH. My goodness, I thought I was done.. I braked HARD prompt to 65MPH.. and got straight to the right lane. I don't know HOW I wasn't stopped.. Statie/Highway patrol (?) didn't even move, though I may have caught him turning his head looking at this red car that just did that. jeez, that was a close call.

My car had a vacuum leak causing WOT, and wow, it felt like it had a turbo in it.

If gas mileage didn't drop s much, id be tempted to leave it like that................

I had to put it in neutral at lights, the pull was so strong.

Anyways, my mechanic found the vacuum line, put it back on, and ... was amazed I drove for a weekend like that. I explained to him "it made the car feel like a turbo."


Sure you did...
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: Astro14
Originally Posted By: GearheadTool
Originally Posted By: A_Harman
I'll use that excuse the next time a cop stops me for speeding. "Gee officer, I'm sorry, but the car just accelerated out of control and I couldn't stop it."


I *almost* blew past an Ohio State Trooper at 90 and accelerating, in the left lane, coming into Columbus, OH on Interstate 70.. He came into my field of view as I was climbing from 90MPH. My goodness, I thought I was done.. I braked HARD prompt to 65MPH.. and got straight to the right lane. I don't know HOW I wasn't stopped.. Statie/Highway patrol (?) didn't even move, though I may have caught him turning his head looking at this red car that just did that. jeez, that was a close call.

My car had a vacuum leak causing WOT, and wow, it felt like it had a turbo in it.

If gas mileage didn't drop s much, id be tempted to leave it like that................

I had to put it in neutral at lights, the pull was so strong.

Anyways, my mechanic found the vacuum line, put it back on, and ... was amazed I drove for a weekend like that. I explained to him "it made the car feel like a turbo."


Sure you did...


LAWL!


Well I wasn't videoing this PARTICULAR trip, but here is a video from a couple of months before, going the other direction.

My WOT issue, in this car I took the video from, spurred the memory. year was 2010.

But you're right, I can't prove it.

This was.. heading AWAY from Ohio, pretty sure. Took 2010.. posted later than that. This is an old video. And you can see an RV get pulled over by Highway Patrol.. near the end, the cars back up behind said Highway Patrol, in Ohio.

Cruise was at 70 here, the vac hose didn't come off yet.